The present invention relates in general to a transparent cover for a solar heating panel and, specifically, relates to a transparent cover sheet integrally formed with a plurality of lenses that serve to focus, magnify, and intensify the solar radiation onto the heat absorbing elements of the panel.
The use of solar panels to heat fluids by solar radiation has become exceedingly popular and the attendant technology has become more and more refined. The solar panels typically employ thermal collectors formed of metal plates and tubes or extrusions upon which the solar radiation falls and through which the fluid to be heated passes. These collectors are sealed from the weather by transparent covers formed of a plate-like glazing, such as conventional glass window panes, Plexiglas, or the like. The principal purpose is to provide a transparent surface that protects the collector tubes from the elements, yet permits the solar radiation to pass through and fall on the heat collecting elements inside the solar panel.
The typical solar panel is preferably installed with a Southern exposure at a predetermined angle and then fixed to the roof. This is an attempt to maximize the amount of solar radiation received by the panel, however, in order truly to maximize the solar radiation falling on the panel the best approach is to mount the solar panel on some pivotable means, so that the panel can track the sun through its apparent traverse of the sky. Needless to say, such solar panel tracking systems are so expensive, cumbersome, and overly complex as to be prohibitive to the homeowner.